1829."1 Nubia, and Palesline. 1^3 



cency the celebrated witticism of Sir James Mackintosh (Jupiter, what 

 a man to borrow a joke from!) about " our ancient, faithful, and natural 

 ally •" talks about never having " heard crusades preached by the clergy, 

 except ao-ainst the Christians of Ireland," and some such hke milk-and- 

 water slang as belongs to his party. Upon the strength of such notions 

 he would have his readers believe that the people of Turkey are dissatis- 

 fied to a man ; that the Sultan, who has done quite enough to entitle him 

 to the reputation of being one of the most able and enlightened monarchs 

 in the world, is a half frantic tyrant, whom his people detest so much, 

 that they would assassinate him if he appeared among them ; and that the 

 Turks are about to be expelled from Europe. He indulges in some very 

 amusing visions, in the style of Shiel, and the poeice minores ot the 

 'Sociation, of what is to come, and talks about the " hyana oi Austria bat- 

 tening on the blood of all" whom a desire to share the spoils would bring 

 into the field. In another place, he says, 



" I ask any gentleman who has extended his travels beyond his own fire- 

 side, what is the opinion of the most enlightened men in Europe upon our 

 foreign policy ? Has he never blushed to hear a man like Goethe in Germany, 

 Chateaubriand in France, or Visconti in Italy, say to him, ' Oh, Sir, your 

 institutions are the most admirable in the world ; your countrymen are the 

 most industrious ; your merchants are the most enterprismg ; your wealth is 

 unbounded; your power is very great ; but your foreign policy has ever been 

 most infamous.' The gentleman who has not heard such observations, has 

 never swam in a gondola,' or journeyed in a vetturino." 



It is very possible that a man might hear such things. Shallow-pated 

 coxcombs abound abroad as well as at home, who censure (and what is 

 more easy ?) measures which they cannot understand, or which excite then- 

 envy or their alarm. But who, excepting a blockhead, and an unworthy 

 Englishman, was ever at a loss to answer them ;— who ever thought of 

 taking their opinions on our foreign or any other policy— or who ever 

 cared, in a gondola or out, what such persons snid or thought ? If Eng- 

 land had listened to such politicians, she never v/ould have been able to 

 make the stand she has done ;— it is only because some of their thrice- 

 detested liberalism has gained a footing, that we have to lament over con- 

 cessions which have placed our most valuable privileges in danger. 



There is a sketch of the career of IMehmet Ali, including an account 

 of the massacre of the Beys, which is curious. The details are in the 

 main correct, although ]\Ir. IMadden's animosity to the Pacha has induced 

 him to adopt rather too eagerly the hear-say reports of his enemies. 



" Mohammed Ali, in early life, passed through all the vicissitudes of a 

 Turkish adventurer. In Salonica, his native place, he commenced his career 

 as a servant: he next became a private soldier; and, by his perseverance 

 and courage, attained the rank of Btjn bashi, or colonel. , . , 



" In Egypt he signalized himself; first in the conflicts between the rival 

 Beys, and afterwards between the Beys and Tf urkish Pachas. The military 

 aristocracy of the Mamelukes was too strong for the Pachas, who vvere the 

 nominal governors of Egypt; so that the country was in a contmued lerment 

 between the pretensions of ambitious soldiers, and the intrigues ot powerless 

 governors. Mohammed Ali took advantage of the moment : he proclaimed 

 liimself the Pacha from the Porte, and took possession of Cairo. 



"The Sultan denied not his authority ; as usual, he winked at usurpation 



which he was unable to control; and perhaps was not displeased to see any 



Pacha, self-nominated or not, on the throne of Egypt, who was capable ot 



curbing the lawless Mamelukes. But when the perfidious Porte thought thp 



** Y 2 



